Second hijack attempt on Maltese-registered vessel off Somali coast
Charlot Zahra A Maltese-flagged Iranian crude oil tanker built in 2000 has averted a hijack attempt approximately 300 nautical miles off Seychelles a few days ago, making it the second hijacking episode involving a Maltese-registered ship off Somalia.
A statement issued by EUNAVFOR – the European-Union Naval Force for Somalia – has confirmed that on the morning of 27 March, the Maltese-registered crude oil vessel “Saveh”, with deadweight of 150,000 tonnes, was attacked by a Pirate Attack Group (PAG).
The MV Saveh, which is owned by the National Iranian Tanker Co. (N.I.T.C.), was heading from Durban to Kuwait and was in ballast when the pirates struck.
The attack lasted for approximately two hours and shots were fired by the pirates. However, “none of the crew members on board MV Saveh was injured and the personnel are reported to be safe and well”, the spokesperson for EUNAVFOR added.
“By using best management practice, the captain of the vessel was able avoid the pirates’ clutches,” the EUNAVFOR statement insisted.
EU NAVFOR said it was “monitoring the situation” and searching for sea pirates operating in the area.
The previous day, a pirate was shot dead, others detained by NAVFOR during an attack on MV Almezaan vessel. Maltese-flagged MV Frigia and MV Talca ships were hijacked by the pirates in the past week.
Thr MV Frigia, which is owned by a Turkish owner, was hijacked by Somali pirates on with 22 crew members on board.
The “MV Frigia” was hijacked last Tuesday week in waters between Somalia and India, in an area some 400 nautical miles outside a shipping corridor protected by an international naval fleet.
There have been no news about the “MV Frigia” hijacking over the past week.
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